Museum Registrar, Palmer Museum of Art

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POSITION SPECIFICS

The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State's College of Arts and Architecture is seeking applicants for the position of Museum Registrar.

The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State is the largest art museum collection between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and the most significant academic art museum in the state of Pennsylvania.

The Museum Registrar provides collections management for all objects owned by or on loan to the museum. This involves oversight of management, preservation, and storage of the collection, as well as collections management and registration oversight for all loans entering and leaving the museum.

The Museum Registrar works to accomplish the museum's mission and to support its strategic direction as set by the director and senior leadership of the university, maintaining and developing positive relationships with academic units and entities across campus and in the community, as well as with professional organizations.

More specific responsibilities of the Museum Registrar include but are not limited to the following:

Collections and Information Management:

• Manage on-site and off-site collections, including monitoring storage and display conditions, working closely with art handling, security, and facilities personnel.
• Manage packing and shipping of collections and loans.
• Create and maintain legal documents, histories of use, and physical histories of collection objects.
• Organize and implement inventory projects.
• Monitor conservation needs of collection objects and work with curatorial staff to arrange appropriate treatment.
• Act as courier or designates and trains couriers from the museum; serve as the liaison with incoming couriers.

Exhibitions:

• Facilitate loan agreements and exhibition contracts for borrowed and traveling exhibitions; manage budgets, and oversee documentation, packing, shipping, and insurance.
• Coordinate object movement and record keeping of in-house exhibitions.

Administration/Photographic Rights and Reproduction Services:

• Develop departmental budget, manage invoices, monitor expenditures, and order equipment and supplies.
• Maintain the museum's general facility report and update collections management policy as needed.
• Manage photographic rights and reproduction services.
• Contract photographers and supervise collection photography.

Supervision and Outreach:

• Oversee the Assistant Registrar/Database Administrator who manages information systems for art collections.
• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise student employees, volunteers, graduate assistants, and interns.
• Assist visiting students and scholars with research and collection access.
• Provide advice and assistance to the public in areas of collection care and conservation.
• Teach relevant sections of museum studies classes as needed.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a degree in museum studies, art history, or related discipline, as well as experience with the following:

• Working in a museum or gallery setting
• Fine art handling
• The Museum System (TMS) collections management system

Additional Qualifications:

• Excellent data and time management skills
• Demonstrated ability to be detailed-oriented
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

Application Information: Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume.

About the Palmer Museum of Art

A key element of Penn State's land-grant mission of teaching, research and public service, the Museum is a vital and accessible cultural resource for Penn State's students, faculty, and scholars, as well as for all visitors to and from the entire central Pennsylvania region.

Through its world-class objects, programs and outreach, the free Museum is a welcoming and vibrant forum for authentic arts experiences and cultivates meaningful dialogue about today's most potent ideas and pressing concerns.

An expansive 21st-century teaching museum, the Palmer Museum of Art is a beacon for advancing the arts and humanities on Penn State's University Park campus and throughout its communities.

The Palmer is dedicated to catalyzing groundbreaking research, scholarship and publications and providing impactful, object-based learning for Penn State and K-12 students. The Palmer's rewarding and thought-provoking exhibitions and programs promote visitor participation and discovery. In January, the Palmer was voted one of ten winners in the national USA Today 10Best contest for Best New Museums of 2025.

The Palmer Museum of Art is situated administratively in the College of Arts and Architecture. For more information on the Palmer Museum of Art, please visit our website at https://palmermuseum.psu.edu/.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

SALARY & BENEFITS

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Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

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Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

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